The eastern, southern, and western boundaries of the park coincide with the state border between Germany and Austria.

In the center of the park is a large lake, the Königssee, which is elongated from the south to the west and is the source of the Königsseer Ache, a right tributary of the Salzach.

[5] The first nature conservation area in the Berchtesgaden Alps was created in what is currently the southeastern part of the park in 1910.

It had an area of 8,600 hectares (21,000 acres) and was organized according to the model of National Parks in the United States.

In the 1960s, a concurrent initiative to build an aerial lift to the summit of Watzmann was put forward.

One of the cultural attractions of the park is the pilgrimage Church of Saint Bartholomew, located on the Königssee.